Surface differences

Last Thursday I hiked along a part of the Bob Jones Bike Trail. I mentioned in here that my knee was hurting before ten minutes was up. That trail is asphalt, a great surface for bikes, not so great for a person with arthritic knees.

Last Saturday I hiked along the Reservoir Canyon trail, not far from San Luis Obispo. The trail is mostly flat, winds through trees, across a small creek, within a typical riparian forest area. Yesterday I walked along the trail that borders the Oceano Lagoon, a lovely little lake near the ocean. The first picture on the left is from the Reservoir Canyon trail. The other three are from the Oceano Lagoon trek.

I found it much easier going on these dirt trails. My knees did not suffer as much, although my back felt a bit of pain - most likely from my weight.

I was limping when I finished the Bob Jones walk. I was feeling good when I finished the other two, and in both of those cases I trekked a little longer than I had on the bike trail. I think it pays to look for the softer dirt paths.